Blind
by Blue Dot77
Summary: She couldn't help the way she felt for him, the way she loved him. It was a curse upon her very soul that she had fought many years to cast away. No matter what she did, she could not see him as the evil embodiment of fear that he claimed to be. For love is blind, and thus, so is she. She knew it was dangerous for Love to fall in love, but wasn't Pitch worth the risk?
1. Dark Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

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She walked along the sidewalks of the small town, her bare feet barely touching the sidewalk with each dainty step. Eyes like wide marbles hid behind her black sunglasses and bright, flaming red locks of hair fell freely down to her waist. Her posture as she walked was relaxed, yet still held a formal air to it. Dressed in a crimson off the shoulder shirt with hearts decorating the fabric with a pair of black skinny jeans, she fit in well with the crowd, for the most part. Occasionally, a person would just walk through her and she would frown. Those who did see her didn't know her so they just nodded in her direction and kept walking.

The woman used a walking stick, occasionally tapping with it to get a feel for where she was going. It was delicately carved, intricate designs racing up and down it. It was just for decoration of course, she had been alive for many years and could go without it without much difficulty. It helped to have it though, to give people a huge hint. She didn't care if they knew who she was, what she did. All she wanted was for those to believe, to know that she could not help but look off without focus when they spoke to her.

For love is blind, and thus, so was she.

Her name was Valerie Tine, the embodiment of love. She was a kind woman, always honest, and only able to see people for what they were. See not being meant literally, for she could not truly see anything. Her eye color was a pale pink, glazed over as she stared, unblinkingly out into the world from behind her sunglasses. Just like North had Christmas, she had Valentines Day. Even though most of her work was on that day, Valerie had to work every day to keep love at work. Even though she was often considered attractive, the immortal woman could never be fallen in love with by any human. She was just out of their reach, and she had to keep it that way. Most of her work during the year however, was not done by her. For the most part, her Cupids kept the love in the air. The love that she breathed, the love that kept her heart beating inside her chest.

"Hey TinTin," a voice greeted her from behind and she turned to face him. Whereas most of the world would see a young, handsome teenage boy with a head of beautiful white hair that fell gently onto porcelain skin, she saw an outline of bright blue, filled with an assortment of bright colors. She recognized the voice as belonging to Jack Frost.

"Hello there, Jack," she returned the greeting with a smile pulling at her crimson lips, looking down at the winter spirit without actually 'looking' in the sense that you would think. "Come to join me on my stroll, have you?"

"Well, I figured you'd like the company and an update on how things are going," Valerie could visualize Jack shrugging his shoulders, having asked the boy once what he truly looked like. It was sometimes a burden on the woman to be unable to see people as others see them. She wanted to be able to watch a blue bird fly across the sky and actually _see_ its blue feathers.

"I always enjoy having company, Jack," Valerie continued to smile as she turned around and continued walking down the sidewalk, knowing that Jack was following beside her. Jack was one of the few immortals that bothered seeking out Valerie, not that he could help but run into her. Valerie felt a cool snowflake land on her hot cheek, it sizzled slightly before melting.

"I see you're just as hot as ever," Jack remarked sarcastically, most likely taking a step away from her as they strolled side by side. Valerie couldn't blame him, she was known for the warmth that her love brought.

"I am the embodiment of love, Jack. Love is a warm feeling that grows and spreads from your chest to your toes, leaving you grinning at its warmth. Love is the thing that comforts you in times of darkness and fear," she explained patiently, her grin forming a smirk as she turned her head towards the winter spirit. Jack nodded in understanding, not that she could see him perform such an action.

"Well, warm things don't do well with cold things, and I am freezing," he pointed out with a joking tone to his voice. Grinning at him, she shook her head slightly before turning it back forward, watching the occasional outline of a person cross her sight. "Anyway, I got some exciting news for you."

"And what news would that be? Planning on giving me a perfect snow day next Valentines Day? You know how the turtledoves love to fly through your snow on that day especially," Valerie's curiosity was piqued as Jack led her to a bench and they sat down together on opposite ends. Jack was still a little iffy about making contact with the woman, paranoid that her heat may actually melt him quite literally.

"Of course I am, but that's not the news," Jack Frost dismissed it. Nodding in a way to tell him to go on and continue with the news, Valeria patiently awaited whatever it was that had Jack in such a straight forward mood. "I've been made a Guardian."

"That is quite lovely news, Jack," Valerie smiled at him, happy for the fortunate event. Maybe now more children will believe in the winter spirit. A slight pang went through Valerie. For a moment, she wished that she, too, was one of the Guardians. She guarded love, did she not? Was love not just as, if not more important, than Wonder, Courage, and Hope? Shaking her head at herself, she dismissed such thoughts. Love does not envy. Love is patient and kind. It has to be. How chaotic would the world be if love was not always its peaceful anchor? "What has led the Man in the Moon to make such a decision?"

"Pitch Black was planning an attack on the children and the Guardians needed help. I am kind of surprised he didn't choose you," Jack explained, sounding only slightly less excited as he did so. Valerie's thoughts went to the man of which had been attacking the children. She had felt his dark presence, but was not aware of what his actions had been. All she could do was use her love to try to keep the children strong whenever she felt the pain of their hopelessness and fear. She hated it when the children were afraid, when all their dreams of love and magic were dashed. Now that she knew what had been going on, she could only shake her head in disappointment. Even now, Pitch was still Pitch.

"Mr. Black and I have a history, Jack. One of which has led the Man in the Moon to question even my actions. The Man in the Moon most likely believed that it would be for the best if I did not gain Guardian status," Valerie assured the boy, doing her best to push thoughts of Pitch from her mind and return the conversation to a lighter topic, one that would bring less memories with it.

"What's your history?" the curious boy asked, always loving to ask questions whenever his curiosity was piqued by something. Sighing, Valerie looked upwards, in the direction of the sky.

"That, my dear winter spirit, is a long tale that began before even the Dark Ages. One that we shall save for your next visit," Valerie rose from the bench with her walking stick, nodding to the boy before letting the warmth of the sun absorb her and going back to her domain. Her domain was a peaceful place, resting on clouds with rosy tops that were full of fields of gorgeous white roses that glowed different colors when her bare feet touched them. Because of the way things glowed here, Valerie could see their shapes and colors. It was enough for her, though, even if she could not see the intricate designs of each rose.

Plucking a rose, she held it in her hand for a moment before one of her Cupids, creatures that glowed the purest white with a pink outline in her sight, took it from her to deliver whomever that particular Cupid thought to be in love. Before, and during, the Dark Ages Valeria had received many of the roses herself. She had woven each one into the walls of her bedroom.

Sighing, Valerie moved into her home and walked along the rose petal carpets before reaching her bedroom and crawling onto the bed. Valerie thought of Pitch and wondered what had become of him. Shaking her head, she curled into her bed before letting sleep overtake her. A dream came, one that she had not had in many years.

_"Pitch," she smiled, her eyes looking in the direction of the one man in the world she could see. She could see him only because her heart created his image so perfectly for her to see it. He was absolutely perfect and enchanting to in her eyes. It was not safe for Love to fall in love, but how could she keep such an occurrence from happening? It was especially dangerous considering who it was that her love was so devoted to. Yes, she had tried to forget the man, the object of her affections. How could she, though, when they were both immortal and her Cupids kept bringing roses to her in an effort to convince her that she was._

_"Valerie," her name fell of his lips smoothly as he moved forward with a smile of his own and took the woman in his long arms. His head tilted, and he kissed her softly upon the lips. _

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**I actually like this, for the most part. I don't know how you guys feel, but you should really review with your thoughts because I love hearing what other people think of my stories.**


	2. Black Roses

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

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A month had passed and Valerie had rarely left her domain unless necessary. She found herself feeling an odd twinge in her chest, old feelings long buried fighting to stir once more. Why could the embodiment of love not deny love? Simple, she was forged of the love shared by the purest of hearts and breathed the flowery aroma as if it was oxygen to her lungs. Valerie Tine sat in the center of one of her various fields, playing with the colors of the roses by brushing her fingers along their soft petals. With each caress, a swirl of smoke- an aroma- would swirl into the air. One of the turtledoves sat perched upon Valerie's shoulder as if transfixed by the beautiful colors the woman created. Valerie wished she could see the detailed petals of the flowers, watch with precision as they changed from blue, to purple, to pink.

The turtledove squawked, the sound of its feathers ruffling causing Valerie to raise her head. Looking around, she tried her best to find what was wrong, what was alarming the peaceful bird. Standing from her seated position, she smoothed out her crimson dress. A dark area in her domain caught her eyes, the blackness of it alarming her. Taking the bird from her shoulder, she whispered to it softly, "Retrieve my cane, if you would be so kind. It appears we have a guest."

Petting the turtledove, she let it take off from her open palm to go fulfill her request. Valerie began approaching the dark area, her feet just barely touching the soft petals of her roses as she walked. Behind her, the roses turned blood red. No one was to intrude upon Valerie's domain in such a manner. Love is kind, but love is also merciless when the circumstances call for it, ask Romeo and Juliet. Once she was close enough, Valerie realized that the dark area was a mass of many separate objects darting around one of her fields. The roses turned black in her vision and she let out a startled gasp. The turtledove returned to her, handing her the cane as her steps grew swifter.

"May I question as to who has invaded my garden?" she called out at the unidentifiable creatures. They reminded her of something, something not at all pleasant. Clicking a button on her cane, she heard and felt its intricately carved wood shifting and folding until she held a sword. She would prefer her bow and arrows, but she would also prefer not to fight the intruders unless necessary. The cries of her roses, lost potential loves, dying reached her ears and she decided she could not let this go on. Valerie chose not to call upon her Cupids, love could not take an interruption in its work.

"I thought you, of all people, would remember," a voice whispered, it had a familiar smooth tone to it that sent a shiver down her spine. Looking around, she could not spot anything that looked suspicious.

"Shall you do me the favor of appearing so that I may have a proper conversation with you?" Valerie asked, keeping her formal air about her even as she felt her nerves go on edge.

"It's not as if you could see me if you tried," it mocked, a laughing tone to its voice. Valerie tried not to take that too hard, having never grown to liking her inability to see. Especially in moments such as this, when she needed the gift of sight more than ever. "I hear your eyesight has gotten worse. You used to be able to see the plant life outside of the separate domains, could you not?"

"As love grows blinder, so do I. It is a graceful decline that I oblige to without objection," she defended, not liking how close the voice seemed to be to her. It was as if its source was invisible, as if it had no essence for her to see.

"I happen to remember you wishing for the ability as we sat together and watched the night sky. You wanted so badly to see the stars that I described for you," the voice connected with its owner immediately as Valerie turned yet again but finally managed to spot golden eyes. Nothing else, just glowing gold eyes and a black outlined body with darkness inside. A speck of white hid inside his chest, one that used to be so much larger before things had all fallen apart.

"Pitch, what are you doing here?" Valerie found that her feet were approaching the figure. She gestured around herself, not liking for one bit that the black roses were multiplying. "Why have you brought these creatures to torment my turtledoves and destroy my roses?"

"Isn't it obvious? You gave your loyalty to the Man in the Moon. You helped the Guardians to pull the humans out of the Dark Ages. What did they give you in return? Hm? Nothing," he spat, his voice growing colder and more venomous with each word he sent in her direction. When she was almost to him, she noticed that the golden eyes were glaring at her mockingly. "I have been wondering just how fiery and warm you would be if I were destroy your _love_. Shall we find out just how blind a bat really is?"

"Pitch, no!" Valerie screamed just before a pain shot through her legs. Looking down, she saw that the roses beneath her feet were black. Bending down, she touched them with her fingertips gently but no color appeared. A hand gripped her throat, pulling her from the ground until she was looking straight into gold eyes. Gold eyes that made her heart ache.

"Have you always been this weak?" Pitched mocked her, tossing her across the field. Landing among her roses, she ignored the burst of red that was the white roses as she rose from the ground with her sword. Moving towards Pitch, she swung with her sword only to have something black smack her away. Rising yet again, Valerie went to strike again.

"Do you only fight with your shadows now, Pitch? Where's the honor in that?" Valerie questioned, slicing out at the shifting figure. She didn't want to kill him, didn't want to even fight him; but she had to defend her domain.

"It seems both of our battling styles have differed from what they once were. I believe you once fancied archery over swordsmanship," Pitch countered, ducking from the slice. "If you wish for such an old fashioned duel, I could beat you in that just as easily."

"You underestimate my abilities with a sword, Mr. Black," Valerie smirked as the feeling of a sword meeting her own greeted her. They both struck at each other, Valerie at this disadvantage without the ability to see her opponent's weapon. Their swords locked and Valerie felt the cool breeze of his breath wafting over her face.

"Maybe I have, my dove," he whispered. Valerie's heart fell into a rapid beat, her lips wishing to brush his once more after such a long time. "But your love for things you should not will always be your downfall."

The flat of a sword hit Valerie in the face, sending her two feet away and tumbling into a group of black roses. Out like a light, Valerie was powerless to do anything but lie there in the dark recesses of her own mind.

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**Not sure how I feel about this. It's good, but I am not sure if it really went the way I wanted it to go.**


	3. Blinding Love

**I think I have some clairvoyant readers**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

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**Flashback**

_"What is such a beautiful young maiden doing out alone at night?" a smooth voice asked. Turning around, she smiled at the one tall man as he walked up towards her with one hand behind his back. It was so wonderful to be able to see him, even if it did make her yearn to see more. If he looked like this, how does the rest of the world look?_

_"She is awaiting the arrival of her lover," Valerie moved forward a step, still smiling softly at the man as she did so. There was a light tone to her voice as she approached the opening to the cave that the man was standing in. The cave was mostly hidden from the Man in the Moon's sight. It was a safe place for these traitorous meetings. Or, at least, sage enough._

_"Her lover? You mean to tell me that there is a man deemed worthy of such a beauty? I cannot believe such a claim to be true," grinning mischievously, he reached out with a pale grey hand towards her, a hand that she took without a moment of hesitation. His touch was cool, not warm, but not cold either. Pulling her towards him, the mischievous glint never left his golden eyes that she loved to get lost in for hours. Her chest warmed at his touch. She loved to be reunited with him more than anything else in the world. "Perhaps he wouldn't mind if I stole her away for awhile?"_

_"I believe he would be quite fine with the arrangement," Valerie breathed, his stunning perfection taking her breath away. He pulled her into him, kissing her lips softly with his own and making her stomach flutter with imaginary butterflies. His hands moved to her waist as she slid her arms around his neck. It was in these moments that they clung to one another as if the other may fade to dust. "I have missed you horribly, my shade."_

_"And I, you, my dove," he whispered, kissing her softly once more before pulling back to lead her further into the cave. Soon they reached a bed of obsidian rock, dead rose petals scattered across it. "My attempt at being romantic. Of course romance really is more of your domain, is it not?"_

_"It's perfect, just needs a little color," Valerie smiled softly at him, touching one of the rose petals with the tip of her index finger. Her eyes watched as the slab of dark rock was dusted with glitter in her eyes, the rose petals coming to life with various colors. Looking away from the rose petals, she looked back up into his golden eyes "See, perfect."_

_"Not near as perfect as you are, my love," he grinned at her, kissing her lips yet again with more passion. The back of her knees hit the bed and her laugh chimed through the cave as they collapsed together._

_"Do you love me?" she asked him, eyes watching his own for any sort of hesitation or doubt. She had asked the question before, but she always wanted to ensure that their love was purer than the crystal snow flakes that fall on Christmas day._

_"Never doubt that my love for you is purer than the most flawless of gems, Valerie Tine," his eyes looked deep into her own, exposing himself and the honesty of his words to her. She almost lost her breath in pure joy. "Until the end of my days, I shall love you."_

_"I love you as well, Pitch," she breathed, kissing him again as her hands went up to tangle in pitch black locks. "Always and forever."_

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"TinTin! TinTin, wake up!" a voice called out, dragging her out of the flashback and back into reality. Above Valerie was the obvious form of none other than Jack Frost. She could feel the chill of his frost covering her roses. Looking around herself, she noticed that there were others. One was golden, stubby in height but glittering like a trophy. Another held a soft brown outline in her eyes, his shape being that of a Pooka. The third was fluttering in the air, the bright mix of green and blue shocking her out of any lingering darkness inside her mind. The last was a big man, glowing red and green and glittering with an outline of a white as pure as the Cupids. They had to be the Guardians, she recognized them all even now. Sandy, Bunnymund, Tooth, and North.

The Guardians puzzled Valerie until she remembered her most recent encounter with Pitch. Ignoring the ache in her chest, she looked around her domain to see what damage had been done. Fields of black stretched out in front of her, the Cupids buzzing around in confusion at the lack of roses. They could no longer grant the gift of love without her roses.

"My roses. N-not my g-garden. I h-have to save them," Valerie began to panic, reaching down to touch the roses in hope of some reaction. Nothing happened. "Not my garden. Anything but the roses!"

"Valerie, calm down sweetie," Tooth fluttered beside her, placing small, calming hands on the woman's arms. Valerie turned on her, worry etched into her face.

"Calm down? You don't understand! My Cupids cannot provide the gift of love without my roses!" she could feel the panic in her own words, making her clutch her hands together to her chest in worry. "He killed all of them! I will not stand for this!"

Love should never be angry, and it should never be angered. Moving towards her home, she brushed off the Guardians and ignored them as they followed her. Well, tried to ignore them.

"Miss Tine, perhaps it would be best for you to calm down a bit, yes?" North walked side by side with her, trying to calm her. The fiery red locks of Valerie's hair snapped at the air angrily. Valerie entered the master bedroom, her room. Glaring at the colorful walls, she moved to rip the wallpaper from them.

"Woah there, mate!" Bunnymund stepped in and gripped her arm with his paws. Of course most of the Guardians knew the meaning of the roses, knew why Valerie would have some of her own. They all knew of her and Pitch. They all knew that she had loved him. "You don't wanna do that."

"Bunny is right. Take moment. Calm down," North nodded, not that she could tell he had performed such an action. Her vision was growing darker, making it harder to make things out.

"You two are right. I apologize," Valeria bowed her head, calming down. Love is peaceful. Love is kind. Love is joyful. Love is blind.

"What happens if all your roses die?" Jack asked, questioning what the effects of Pitch's actions would be. Sighing, Valerie walked outside with the Guardians and looked out upon the masses of black.

"No new love will blossom. And I will loose my sight completely as people loose their belief in love. They will marry for looks, money, fame. There will be no love to halt the reckless actions of soldiers in battle. No love to bind families together in times of fear. And no love to drive away the darkest fears of children in the dead of night," Valerie answered, bending down to pluck one of the roses.

"You need help with the fixing?" North inquired, watching closely as Valeria brought the rose to her lips.

"I have enough power for one rose. My Cupids and turtledoves should be able to take care of the rest," Valerie pressed the rose to her lips, blowing on it slightly. The rose turned a pure white before she bent down and dug a hole in the dirt. Placing the rose inside, Valerie looked up to the moon. "Grant this rose the light of your power as such was done so long ago to return to life my garden of love that shadows hath turned to woe."

There was a bright glow, centered on the one rose as Valerie collapsed into a kneeling position. It was a respectful position, but the main reason for it was because of her exhaustion. The black roses all turned to dust, blowing up in a whirlwind before being sent off into the sky. A few turtledoves bent down at began eating the glowing flower before taking off in the air and spreading the seeds.

"May we go inside and rest? I am afraid that took up much of my remaining power," Valerie struggled to stand, Jack came to her side and helped. "One of my spare Cupids can fix you Guardians something to eat. How does a crepe sound? They are quite delicious."

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Jack Frost sat next to her on my plush red couch in front of the fireplace. The other Guardians were taking Valerie up on the offer of crepes. He turned to look at her before asking, "What would have happened if you tore off that rose wallpaper?"

"Each rose in that wallpaper is a rose given to me by my Cupids when I was in love. If I were to destroy them, it would render me unable to love again. Such a thing would contradict my post as the embodiment of Love. Therefore, it is fortunate your Guardian friends were here to prevent my actions," Valerie spoke in her usual formal tone, giving away no emotion to the winter spirit. Inside, her heart was aching with thought of Pitch and how he had betrayed her.

"How is your vision?" Jack questioned, moving on from the previous subject.

"It is worse than it has ever been, but it is getting back to normal with time. My turtledoves and Cupids are doing what they can. If I had enough power, I could have helped them much more. It will be some time before my domain is back to the way it was before Mr. Black's unpleasant visit. Until then, I must trust that all will turn out for the best," Valerie responded, watching the glowing flicker of the fireplace flames. "Have you ever wanted something so bad, you were willing to lose all you had for it?"

"I wanted to be seen by the children bad enough that I almost allied with Pitch. Teaming up with him would have been a huge mistake," Jack's comment stung more than he knew, making Valerie almost choke up. "Which just happens to remind me. Are you going to tell me about your history with big, black, and spooky?"

"It all started some time before the Dark Ages...," Valerie began, sighing at the winter spirit's persistence.

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**So, what do you guys think?**


	4. Ripping History

**I think I have some clairvoyant readers**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

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"It was during the earlier years of my blindness. You see, during the beginning I had been able to see things near perfectly. Sadly, human beings began these foolish arranged marriages and such, disbanding love as just another silly notion. As the walls against love were built, my eyesight began to fade. By the time I had met Pitch, I was not as bad as I am today. I could see the children, but no other person. Back then, I had traveled alongside my Cupids and turtledoves in order to ensure that the children were safe. One day, a little girl's scream met my ears and I ran up to the home. Entering her room, I spotted her cowering on the bed, the shadows moving around her in a way that was frightening the child," closing her eyes, Valerie fell into the memory. The light smell of ash that filled the home. The soft brown locks of hair that fell to the small child's shoulders. Big, brown eyes staring up at her with fear.

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_"Hush child, do not waste such precious tears," she whispered, placing her bow and quiver of arrows on the floor before moving over to the small bed the child rested on and pulling the girl into her arms. For a few moments, the child shook in her arms. Looking down at the dark shadows, Valerie frowned. "Shoo, Nightlings. Leave this child be. Have you not better things to do with your time?"_

_"And who are you?" a smooth, chilling voice asked. Valerie's eyes went up and she saw him standing there. He was tall and lean, his golden eyes penetrating her through the darkness. His name evaded her, but she knew that she should recognize him. Her heart skipped a beat, a sensation that shocked her._

_"You may refer to me as Valerie Tine," Valerie responded, laying the now sleeping child onto the bed before standing and grabbing her bow and quiver. "And what might your name be? You seem quite familiar."_

_"The children refer to me as The Boogeyman," he responded, inspecting his nails with disinterest. That title struck a memory somewhere in Valerie's mind. Some type of warning. The man looked back to her with piercing gold eyes. "You may call me Pitch Black."_

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"I almost killed him that night. I believe I would have, if not for his eyes. They were so pure, like melted gold. How could I claim someone to be evil with eyes so pure? After that first encounter, I ran into Pitch repeatedly. We would have short conversations, slowly building a liking of one another that we, or at least I, denied. Soon, I found myself purposefully seeking him out," Valerie smiled softly, reminiscing on the good times, the times before all fell to pieces. Looking down in the direction of her hands, she continued, "I soon fell in love with him. The more I denied it, the harder I fell for the man. As my vision failed, I never once lost sight of him."

"So, did you two date or something?" Jack asked, seeming quite interested in the story. Valerie's smile grew and she looked up at the winter boy.

"We became lovers, sneaking every moment we could just to be in one another's arms. Sadly, it did not last," her smile fell as she told him this. "The Man in the Moon discovered that I was in love with Pitch and told me that I must stop seeing Pitch if I wanted what was best for the children."

"Pitch and I were made to always counteract one another. He brought bone chilling nightmares, fear spawned from people's darkest fears. I brought warmth, love that battled away all fears and doubt. It is true that Pitch came to be much longer before I, but I was made to hide the children from his fear nonetheless. The Sandman, Sandy, was created for a similar purpose. He fought the nightmares with beautiful dreams brought on by his golden sand. Sandy was also much more suited for dueling Pitch," Valerie continued to explain, tucking a flaming lock behind one ear as she spoke. It was rare that she ever revisited her moments with Pitch, for revisiting them just made her heart ache. "Due to my love for Pitch, the Man in the Moon believed that I would be unable to face Pitch in battle with my usual prowess. He thought my views on the matter to be corrupted."

"I defied the Man in the Moon, turned my back on him for love. The Man in the Moon had stripped me of my sight by making me what I am. At the time, I had justified it by saying that the the embodiment of Love must never give up the one she loves. As consequence of me no longer searching out the children, protecting them from fear with love, Pitch grew stronger. The Dark Ages came, and I had to choose how blind I really was. Was I blind enough to ignore the tear stained cheeks of children? The children who trusted me!" Valerie's fist came down on the round, glass side table that sat next to her couch, shattering it. She didn't delve deeper into the story, didn't explain how Pitch and she had gone from lovers to what they now appeared to be, enemies. Ignoring the trails of tears down her cheeks, she let her eyes go to the crackling fire. Her voice broke as she finally spoke again, "Love is supposed to know what's best. How did I fail them so horribly?"

"Is everything okie-dokie in here?" North walked in, his voice sounding only a hint wary at the sight before him.

"TinTin was just telling me a story," Jack informed him, standing from the couch. Valerie could sense a slight change in his demeanor as the boy looked up at North. North patted him on the head in a fatherly way and Valerie smiled despite the pain in her chest.

"Thank you for your assistance, Guardians. If you are still weary, I am sure my Cupids are more than willing to guide you to the various guest rooms," Valerie stood, whistling for one of her turtledoves to come help with the mess she had created of the side table. Turning back to face the Guardians, she awaited a verbal answer.

"We'd love to! Oo! It'll be like a big sleepover!" Tooth cheered, her form fluttering around in a blur before Valerie's eyes.

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Valerie walked into her bedroom, both mentally and physically exhausted. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she rubbed her eyes out of habit. When they opened, they immediately went to a black figure that was next to her wall. His form was more defined now, allowing her to see his fingers trailing over each rose on her wallpaper.

"How did you gain entrance to my room?" Valerie stood, wary of the intruder as he turned around and gold eyes pierced her. The deja vu hit her fast and hard, almost making her reach out for him. Almost.

"I have been waiting here for you for hours, my dove," he moved forward, getting closer to her than she should allow him. "You kept every single rose."

"Of course I did," Valerie looked away, her head turning to the side as she stayed planted firm in her place. Then she looked back to him. "What do you want from me?"

"I was just curious as to what such a beautiful maiden is doing alone at night?" Pitch drew even closer, the darkness shifting to reveal pale grey skin as he grew closer. Valerie held her breath, unsure what to do at first. In the end, she chose to fall back on memory.

"She is awaiting the arrival of her lover," she whispered, unsure as to where he was going with this. The memory was so fresh, she could recite the entire conversation with him easily. Pitch took her by the chin, tilting her head up slightly.

"Do you remember what we said to each other last night, in the cave, away from the prying eyes of your Man in the Moon?" Pitch questioned, his voice growing a cold edge to it.

"We promised to love one another until the end of time," Valerie responded without hesitation.

"Funny how things change when betrayal spins its webs," spinning around, Pitch gripped the wallpaper and a loud rip filled the entire domain of Valerie Tine.

"No, don't-" Valerie was cut off as she fell to her knees, clutching her chest and her eyes going to the darkening figure. Blood rose to her throat, rendering her speechless as her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed onto the rose petal floor.

* * *

**Much darker and dramatic than I thought it would turn out.**


	5. Betraying Love

**Thanks for the reviews. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

* * *

The seizure began instantaneously, Valerie's body twitching, jerking, and shaking violently. She was enveloped in darkness, the pain she felt causing her to scream internally since she was unable to produce the sound. Her entire essence felt as if it had been drained, corrupted,and then shoved back in. Blood gurgled in her throat, slowly choking her as she struggled helplessly. One of her shaking hands touched a piece of torn wallpaper, gripping it for her life.

"You always let your guard down around the things you love. For this reason, you will always lose," Pitch whispered, his breath hitting her face as he hovered above her. She couldn't see him and could barely hear a word he said. His lips gently brushed hers, shocking her slightly when she felt the light touch of lips. "It had to be this way, my dove."

A hand pressed to her chest, and darkness flooded her mind and body as Valerie went limp upon the floor. Pitch stood, staring down at the limp form before disappearing into the shadows.

* * *

She was trapped, locked inside a world of darkness and hate mixed with bitterness and fury. Stumbling around, she tried to find a way out of the overwhelming darkness that surrounded her. Valerie struggled for what seemed like weeks, but may have just been days for all she knew. She felt betrayed, but knew better than to expect more from her former lover. In Pitch's eyes, she would always be the traitor. Did he not understand that Valerie never wanted to loose him, never wanted to see his eyes filled with hatred at the sight of her?

* * *

_"It has been a long time, my dove," he greeted her as she entered their cave, the same one they had pledged their eternal love for one another in. Her face was emotionless, heart aching with what she must do tonight. It hurt even more that it must happen in such a place with such happy memories of their love stored inside its rock walls. He looked so happy to see her, so glad that she was still fairing well. Valerie wished she was completely blind for the first time since her becoming the embodiment of love. "You do not appear glad to see me."_

_Quicker than her eyes could track, Pitch had moved forward and was looking down at her. One of his hands went to cradle her cheek, his eyes searching her marble ones. She wanted nothing more than to melt into the pale grey palm, plant her lips upon his. Mentally shaking herself, she stepped back and out of his grasp._

_"We cannot continue this affair, my love. The children are suffering and I have been neglecting them," Valerie tried to make her voice void of emotion, tried and failed. Pitch's eyes showed confusion mixed with concern before realization lit up the golden orbs. Not wanting her love to be angry, Valerie stepped forward to place her smooth hand against his cheek. "Do not doubt that I will always love you with every ounce of my being, my shade. Even with that being so, I do not have the luxury of pursuing this any longer. The children of the world need my assistance."_

_"You wish to return to what you once were? To fight me in battle? Fine!" his eyes flashed with anger before a wall of black knocked her clear across the room. The wall she hit crumbled with impact, covering her in chunks of ruck and dust. Rising from the rubble, her eyes widened as she watched him lash out again. The shadow cut across her cheek, burning with an icy cold chill that ate away at her soul. Standing her ground, she reached behind her for her bow and an arrow._

_"My love, I do not wish to fight you in battle," Valerie tried to reason with the angered man._

_"It's not a battle if I've already won," he sneered, lashing out at her yet again. This time, however, she bent backwards and watched with wide eyes as the shadow struck at the wall behind her. Straightening herself back up again, she looked sadly at the man she loved._

_"Do not force me to fight you," she implored, hoping to reach through the facade her lover was now hiding himself behind. Her lips were pulled down at the corners in a frown as she watched him._

_"Fight or die!" he moved to lash out again, his attack interrupted as a whip of gold struck him across the room. Sandy had arrived. Pitch stood, his eyes full of hurt and betrayal mixed with anger. "You lead your precious Guardians here! How could you? This was our _sacred_ place! How could you betray our love?"_

_His words stung and Valerie found herself dropping the weapons as she shook her head, trying to tell him that she had no idea that the Guardians had followed her. All of the Guardians entered, attacking her love without mercy. All she could do was watch. When that became to hard, she turned her face to look up at the moon as its light pierced through the roof of the cave where North had made a hole with his sleigh._

_"You sent them here," Valerie whispered, looking back to the battle._

_"This is not over!" Pitch growled, his golden eyes going to Valerie from where he stood. "I will have my revenge, traitor!"_

_With that, he disappeared into the shadows. A solitary tear ran down Valerie's cheek._

* * *

As the Guardians ran into the room, Jack fell on his knees beside the limp form of Valerie Tine. He took her face in both of his hands, yelling at her to wake up as Bunnymund fingered the torn wallpaper. On the wall was delicate handwriting, written in the darkest ink they had ever seen.

**_Dear Guardians,_**

_**How do you like my redecoration?  
You may have won the war,  
but this is not your battle.  
Valerie is a traitor to both sides.  
And traitors must pay for their sins.**_

**_Pitch_  
**

All eyes went back down to the smooth face to see a shimmering pastel pink trailing down Valerie's cheek. Jack was still shaking her even as North placed a hand on his back. Even when Tooth pried his hands from the limp form and Bunnymund gripped him by his hood, Jack called out to his friend.

Valerie, on the other hand, lay on the floor without moving. The only sign of her being alive was the rise and fall of her chest. Inside her own mind, she stumbled around the darkness for some type of escape. Memories bombarded her, each one more of a stab to the heart than the last until she felt her heart numbing.

* * *

**Short, but it's finally up! I plan on updating more especially since I have a week and a half left before I go on vacation. So when vacation comes, I will definitely update a ton. Between now and then, I wil update as much as possible.**


	6. Returning Awake

**Thanks for the reviews. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

* * *

Cupids fluttered around their master, stitching their roses into her pasty skin. The color had drained from Valerie, her hair was as white as Jack Frost's, skin as pale as the moon's light. The staggered rise and fall of her chest evened out with each rose, color returning to her usually flaming locks ever so slowly. Her body was cold to the touch, cold as if she had died years ago. Turtledoves fluttered around, working on finding every last rose that had been torn down with the wallpaper. The Guardians were waiting in the living room, Jack obviously more agitated than the others as they waited semi patiently for the awakening of Valerie Tine.

* * *

_The tree looked to be on death's door, its branches bowing to the trials of time. Her smooth hand pressed itself to the decaying bark and she was not surprised in the slightest when it gave way. Looking down, she observed the dark tunnel beneath her like one would regard a favorite __secret__ hiding place. Casting the cloud-covered moon a wary glance, she stepped into the tree and let the feeling of falling greet her. Her hands stretched towards the sky, arms rotating in a stretching motion as her eyes shut. Wind rush up and past her, causing her fiery locks of hair to bite out at the air. Soon, her feet touched stone and she opened her eyes as she finished the graceful fall._

_"So you did come, after all," a voice whispered and she watched as pale grey skin materialized out of the shadows, eyes like melted gold watching her with obvious happiness lighting them up._

_"Of course I did," she smiled softly at him, moving forward with silent steps towards the man she loved. Her eyes looked around the dark, stone room as she walked, taking in the semi familiar sight. "I apologize for my tardiness."_

_"I was thinking that the Guardians had finally convinced you of how evil I am," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist as she looked up at him with pale pink eyes like polished marbles. He leaned down a bit, lips brushing hers softly._

_"I will never think you evil, my shade," one of her hands went up to caress his cheek lovingly, pulling him down into another soft kiss. The broke the embrace just long enough for him to turn around and offer his arm to her._

_"Shall we, my dove?" he looked at Valerie expectantly, waiting patiently for her to take it. She wrapped both of her arms around it, leaning her head against his arm as they walked through the maze of halls until they reached his chambers. He moved away from her, kissing her with more passion this time as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her back pressed against the surprisingly soft mattress as she looked up at him. Leaning over her, he allowed some of his hair to fall forward and tickle her face._

_"I love you," she informed him, kissing him yet again as her arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer to her._

_"I love you too," he responded as the kiss broke apart before kissing her again. Pitch placed his hands on the waist of Love, looking deep into marble eyes. They kissed again, in the domain of the shadows, and no kiss had ever been sweeter. _

* * *

A pair of marble eyes revealed themselves to the world as eyelids moved up. Fiery red hair fell past her shoulders as she sat up from her place upon her bed. The color had returned to her skin and hair, making her look much healthier than she had previously. Looking around, she spotted one of her Cupids fluttering into the room, its pure white form going straight towards her. She hugged the Cupid close, understanding its obvious concern for her.

"Help me to dress myself in something more appropriate, friend?" she arched an eyebrow at the Cupid. It took her left hand, helping her to her feet before calling to the turtledoves.

Once dressed, she moved from her room and down the familiar hallway with determination. She stopped by one room, a room she rarely ever entered anymore. Opening the door, she pushed it open and approached the large cabinet that sat in the room opposite the door. Pulling open the doors, she gripped her bow and quiver of arrows.

* * *

Valerie entered the living room, quiver of bows in place and her bow in hand as she did so. All of the Guardians turned to face her, surprised to see the practically ancient weapons in her hand again.

"I want to thank all of you for your assistance, but this is no longer your battle. Pitch Black has committed a crime against me by assaulting my domain and myself directly," she stated calmly, walking past them and stopping momentarily when Jack approached her. She placed a hand on his shoulder, turning her face towards the winter spirit.

"You can't fight him alone! You're at a disadvantage," Jack objected before she could speak. Valerie smiled down at him softly. "Let at least one of us go with you and help."

"This is a battle between myself and Pitch, snowflake. Do me this one favor and grant me this solitary moment to defend what I believe to be worth dying for," Valerie responded softly, releasing him and walking up to her front door. She turned back to look at the group gathered in her living room, eyes returning to Jack as her smile grew slightly. "Besides, I do not plan on fighting him."

* * *

**This is short but I am happy about what is going to happen in the following chapters.**


	7. Silver Rose

**So, I have been having brainstorms for this chapter nonstop ever since I posted the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

* * *

Dead leaves crunched under bare feet as she made her way through the dark forest. It was a clear night and she could feel the moon watching her as she made her way through the forest easily based on memory of traveling this path all those years ago. Her head was held high, determination to end this driving her forward. The tree came into view, its branches bowing even further now than it had been. If not for what it represented, Valerie would have been surprised with how long the tree had lasted. Her hand moved forward, stopping to hover next to the decaying bark before she looked up at the night sky.

"Do keep your Guardians away this time. It is time that I repair the damage I have caused," Valerie spoke to the Man in the Moon. Turning away from him, she faced the dead-looking tree and pressed her hand to the bark. Bark gave way with little to no resistance and she looked down into the gaping hole of darkness. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest as she stepped over the edge and began her descent into the domain of the King of Nightmares.

It was like deja vu, the feeling of the wind whipping past her skin making her feel more alive than anything else has in hundreds of years. Maybe it was thousands. How long had it really been since pale grey arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a loving embrace? How long has it been since Love was loved? She didn't bother to ponder the answer to the question, not wanting to distract herself from the mission at hand.

She felt free as the dark walls of earth that surrounded her morphed into stone, obsidian. At any moment, her feet would touch the ground and she would be greeted by the shadows that came with the domain. Valerie Tine welcomed the darkness like an old friend.

* * *

_"Good morning, my dove," a voice awoke her and she blinked open her eyes to see the face of her lover. His arm was around her, holding her close to his bare chest as if she may float away. She snuggled into his chest, enjoying the natural coolness to his skin. He kissed the top of her head, pulling her even closer to him._

_"Good morning, my shade," she muttered, cuddling even closer to him. It was such a peaceful moment, one that she wished would never end. Last night floated in her memory, causing her to giggle against his chest._

_"Is something funny, love?" Pitch asked her and she shook her head. "Is that so?"_

_Before she knew it, she was on her back and he was tickling her sides while kissing along her jaw._

_"Pitch, stop it! Stop!" Valerie's laughter chimed through the room, the sound twisting with Pitch's own laugh in a booming harmony. He did stop, if only so the he could move up slightly before kissing her softly upon her smile._

_"I love your smile," he informed her, kissing her again._

* * *

Bare feet touched stone as her eyes opened. Stretching out from her feat, webs of color wove themselves through the floor. She watched the patterns spread out before fading into the shadows. As the room fell back into darkness, she began her walk across the room.

"Already up and kicking? What brings you here, Valerie Tine?" a familiar, dark voice asked from the end of a hallway. Valerie walked in its direction, not responding to its question. "Did you lead your Guardian friends here, too? Unable to fight me alone?"

"They know not the entrance through the broken oak. I am not here to fight you, my shade," Valerie finally replied, spotting a flash of pale grey turning a corner. She kept going, following the voice without missing a beat in her step.

"Why do you still insist to not fight me? Are you afraid of me?" Pitch inquired as she stepped out into a large, empty room. Empty except for the tall, lean man that stood in the center.

"Love has nothing to fear but the loss of love," Valerie responded, continuing her walk towards the man. He turned around, golden eyes catching sight of her automatically.

"Have you not lost your ability to love?" he questioned, arching one eyebrow at her as she approached him.

"My Cupids did what they could to save me from losing such a vital ability," Valerie informed him, removing the scarf from her neck to reveal a very intricate tattoo of a rose with vines that moved up to frame her jaw and moved down beneath the fabric of her long sleeved, scarlet shirt. "Their efforts were not in vane."

"I tore your roses!" Pitch objected, taking a step back as she approached him.

"You tore my roses from the beginning of our love, from when it had just begun to blossom. As you know, a torn rose cannot be repaired. But someone who is love will have an endless supply of roses whenever they need them until the day they die," Valerie's hand went up to finger the tattoo. Pitch's forehead wrinkled above his eyes and between his eyebrows as she reached him, her hand moving upwards and touching his face. "And no matter what you do, I will always love you."

"Why?" the question surprised her slightly, Valerie having expected some snide remark and to be attacked. Leaning up, she looked straight into golden eyes.

"Do you remember the night we pledged our eternal love to one another?" Valerie questioned, tilting her head to the side slightly as she awaited the answer that she knew was coming. Pitch's eyes darkened and he pulled away from her.

"Of course. That day was not long before the Dark Ages," Pitch responded, crossing his arms as he narrowed his golden eyes slightly at her. She let her arms drop to her sides as she looked up at him.

"When love pledges itself to someone, promises to love them until the end of time, it can never not love that individual. For hundreds of years, I denied the very thing that I was to represent, telling myself that I could not love you. In reality, I could never stop," Valerie could feel her cheeks transitioning into a rosy color as she took a step towards him. "When you tore my roses, it did drag me to death's door, in a sense. I was forced to relive every moment we had shared, every memory of loving embraces shared away from the moon's sight. It was in those memories that I found my final rose."

Her hand produced a rose, one that mimicked the tattoo that stood out on her neck. The rose weaved itself from strands of silver, shimmering until it formed the most perfect rose she had created since her very first.

"Or should I say, your rose?" Valerie whispered, moving forward and taking one of Pitch's hands in her own. Opening it, she gently placed the rose in his hand. The rose lit up with a warm glow and Valerie looked up into golden eyes.

* * *

_"What are you doing, Pitch?" Valerie asked, reaching for the fiftieth time for the blindfold obscuring her already failing vision. Pitch's hand popped hers before she even touched the piece of cloth._

_"Now, now. Don't want to ruin the surprise, do we?" Pitch replied, still leading her by one hand. Valerie sighed, pouting slightly at him. About ten minutes later, Pitch stopped moving. "Here."_

_The blindfold was removed and Valerie's eyes widened at the sight. It was a garden, a dead looking one as well. Reaching down to pick up a dead flower, she gasped as an explosion of color began crisscrossing across the room. Colors danced across the various plants, bringing them to life. Pitch began leading her again, pulling her through the shimmering garden until they reached a stone sculpture._

_"It's a Cupid!" Valerie grinned, walking up and feeling the dirt floor turn to cobblestone beneath her feet. She moved to touch it, but the minute her fingers touched the stone, it began to glow. Silvery water sprouted from the tip of one of the Cupid's arrows and hit her feet._

_"Now for the best part," Pitch informed her, moving forward and turning her around before placing a sweet, gentle, slow kiss upon her lips. Shadows gathered underneath them, lifting them into the air until they were breaking apart and looking down at the room. Valerie gasped at the beautiful sight. "How do you like it?"_

_"I love it almost as much as I love you," Valerie kissed him yet again, loving the feel of her lips pressed against his._

_Down on the stone floor, the most beautiful silver rose stood out against a mirage of colors._

* * *

**How do you guys like this?**


	8. Reasoning It

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Rise of the Guardians.**

* * *

Lips touched lips gently, neither party admitting to who had made the first move. Eyes fluttered shut, two souls melding together and melting into the moment. Silence filled the room, former lovers' hearts beating in perfect sync as if they had always been this way. Arms wrapped around bodies, pulling the two together like puzzle pieces finally falling into place. They pulled apart just enough to where they were still breathing the same air, marble pink meeting liquid gold as they looked at one another in silence. Smooth hands laid themselves on the back of a long, pale grey neck, fingers moving up into black locks. Pale grey arms tightened around the waist of the feminine figure. To both of their dismay, reality quickly crushed the moment.

She pulled from his grasp, slipping out as if she had never even been in the pair of long arms in the first place. Her chest ached, hands twitching in mourning of the loss of silken black locks slipping through them. Valerie Tine's marble eyes did not leave the figure as she took a few steps backwards and away from the figure that now stood stock still in front of her.

"I may never be able to regain your trust and our love may never be as innocent as it once seemed; but never doubt that I will love you until my last rose wilts," Valerie whispered, taking two more steps away from him with her eyes remaining on Pitch. "I apologize for being unable to stay with you, for putting my work ahead of our love. Be that as it may, I can not allow the children to lose what remains of their faith in love."

"I understand your recent actions against me. Due to that understanding, I have come to the decision to assist you in your true goal," Valerie ignored the slight sting of her eyes that warned her of future tears. Her voice fell to a whisper as she continued, "Crush the rose, and it will be as if we were never lovers. You will forget every moment of our love, as if none of it ever happened. It will be as if we never met one another that fateful night."

Turning around, Valerie prepared herself for the emptiness she was expecting, the emptiness that came with the loss of love. After a few moments, she realized the sensation had yet to occur.

"What are you waiting for? Do you wish to see my face as we part for the last time?" Valerie whispered, her voice barely managing to maintain an emotionless and stable tone. She jumped, despite her efforts not to, as a cool hand gripped her right hand.

"Valerie?" his voice was soft, as soft as it had been when they had been lovers. Surprised, Valerie turned back to face him. "I no longer wish to cast away our love. My anger was misplaced."

"Is that so?" Valerie hid whatever emotion rose in response to Pitch's statement. Pitch nodded in response. Looking away, Valerie had to remind herself why they were not together anymore. "Even if that is so, we cannot be together as lovers, my shade."

Her face turned back, eyes going back to him as she continued, "You are the fear that I must hold at bay, lest the children lose themselves in despair." She was walking back towards him, his eyes staying on her as she did so. "You represent the monster they believe to be lurking in the darkness that I must defend the children from when they have nothing but fear dwelling in their large eyes. You-"

Lips interrupted her as they pressed against her own in a soft, almost hesitant, kiss. Blinking out of habit more than anything, Valerie looked up at Pitch with widened eyes.

"Then why do you still love me if I am such a dark and horrible creature?" Pitch asked, almost bitterly.

"Because, even with all those things, I still see far too much considering I usually see nothing but the darkness of my fading sight," Valerie's informed him in a hushed tone. "Yours are the arms that I want to melt into. Yours are the lips that leave my own lips tingling in anticipation. You are the light in my darkness, and I have never seen something so bright in all of my days."

"I love you, Valerie," Pitch informed her, pulling her body against his stubbornly, long arms wrapping around her waist. "And I do not intend to give you up so easily this time."

"How can you speak in such a way, after all that has happened between us?" she muttered, unable to bring herself to pull away from him as his lips gently kissed her neck. "We cannot be... We are so..."

She was interrupted as Pitch kissed her once more upon the lips. Eyes slightly glazed over as they separated, she breathed out the last word. "Different."

"I believe it was our differences that brought us together. Was it not?" Pitch murmured, lips brushing hers yet again as a smirk formed on his face. Valerie returned the kiss, unable to hold her resolve. A pair of warm arms wound around Pitch's neck, pulling him closer as his arms remained around her waist. As the kiss ended, Valerie wished that she could not see the love that made Pitch's golden eyes glow even brighter.

"Must you be so difficult?" Valerie grumbled, not nearly as displeased as she was attempting to sound.

"Always, yet another thing that you loved about me," Pitch continued to smirk as he leaned in to kiss her.

* * *

**For something so short, this took way too long to post. I apologize.**


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